SSAB Secures Permit to Build Mini-Mill in Sweden, Set to Replace Current Steel Plant
SSAB has been granted the required permit by the Land and Environmental Court in Umeå to construct and operate a mini-mill in Luleå, Sweden, which will replace the existing steel plant. The approval will enable the company’s technological shift, promising positive environmental and climate impacts.
The new mini-mill will also help SSAB meet the growing demand for its specialized steels and enhance its long-term competitiveness.
“This is a big day for us at SSAB and for the transformation to fossil-free steel production in Sweden. Now we can proceed with an investment that will result in reduced climate impact of national significance,” says Johnny Sjöström, President and CEO at SSAB.
The idea is to decommission all the blast furnaces-based productions that are currently functioning once the mini-mill with electric furnaces, rolling complexes, and further processing are running at full capacity.
The investment is believed to strengthen SSAB’s leading position in the green transition of the steel industry.
The investment will lead to a better cost position, higher efficiency, shorter lead times and eliminated CO2 costs.
The mini-mill is to run on fossil-free electricity and be supplied with a blend of fossil-free sponge iron produced using HYBRIT technology (hydrogen reduction of iron ore) and recycled scrap as raw materials.
The transformation in Luleå is expected to result in significant reductions of emissions to air and water, increase resource efficiency, and remove about 2.8 million tonnes of annual carbon dioxide emissions, as mentioned in their official statement.